In prior art systems, the continuous single file is divided between the two outfeed conveyors through the agency of diverting means by which the flow of products on the main conveyor is directed alternately onto one of the two outfeed conveyors and onto the other.
Devices of this type generally comprise a diverter plate swinging on a vertical pivot between two feed positions in which the products are sent first one way, then another.
Self-evidently, at the moment of being diverted, the products strike against the diverter plate while also sliding against the surface of the conveyors.
The resulting impact and friction do not have damaging consequences, as long as the speeds of the machines and of the conveyors remain within certain limits and the products are not particularly delicate.
Conversely, where operating speeds exceed the limits in question and the products being handled are of a delicate nature, stresses of the type described above will cause denting and abrasion, resulting in the need for an appreciable number of products to be discarded.
Diverter devices of the type mentioned are particularly unsuitable for handling products such as bars of soap, for example, or packets of parallelepiped geometry enveloped in printed and/or coated wrapping material.